Despite making only five starts, former Jackson County soccer star Katie Phillips ranked second in goals scored this past season for West Georgia. She’ll have to sit out this upcoming season, however, with an ACL injury. Photo courtesy of Jared Boggus/West Georgia Athletic Department

Katie Phillips’ freshman year at West Georgia spanned the full gamut of experiences.

There were times when the record-setting Jackson County soccer star, who accounted for over 100 career goals in high school, regularly patrolled the field for the Division II Lady Wolves. Other times she played somewhat sparingly. Phillips managed to rank second on the team with five goals, but she also sustained an off-season ACL and meniscus injury that will keep her sidelined all of this fall.

All things considered though, Phillips describes her freshman experience a very positive one.

“It was good,” she said. “I really enjoyed going into a more competitive setting. The greatest thing that I liked was how nice my teammates were. All the teammates and everybody got along really well. It was just really nice how welcoming everybody was.”

Phillips, a forward, ranked only 12th on the team in minutes played (800) but maximized her time, scoring five goals during the season — a total surpassed only by fellow freshman Katy Mixon, who finished with eight. Two of Phillips’ goals ended up being game-winners, tops on the team. Her .250 shot percentage also led the team.

“I was really happy about it,” Phillips said of her freshman season stats. “I’m not going to lie to you, I wanted to play out there more but so does everybody. But I was relatively happy with the first year. I want to do better going forward, but I was pretty happy.”

Phillips, who helped guide Jackson County to the Elite Eight in 2012 and a region title in 2013, was struck by the difference in the speed of the collegiate game compared to the high school game, a disparity she called “night and day.” The 2014 Jackson County graduate said pace of the college game demands that players stay one move ahead mentally.

“You have to think about what you’re going to do before the ball gets to you, whereas in high school, you can kind of get it, look up and think about it,” she said. “But in college, you got to have your plan in your mind before you get the ball.”

The change was intimidating at times, but Phillips took to heart some wisdom her coach, Chad Davidovicz, imparted to her and her fellow incoming freshmen.

“The coach told us coming in that, ‘I brought all you guys in here because you’re good. The game is exactly the same,'” she said.

While her team struggled through a three-win season in 2014, Phillips — part of an 18-member freshman class — produced some key moments in those victories.

Phillips scored in the Lady Wolves’ 2-1 win over Delta State on Sept. 19, then enjoyed a two-goal effort Oct. 16 in West Georgia’s 3-1 victory over Union.

But the goal that stands out in Phillips’ mind in particular came Oct. 24 against Alabama-Huntsville. Playing right forward, she made a diagonal run to the left side of the field, where she received the ball from Mixon. Phillips then beat the keeper and played the ball in with her left foot. That gave West Georgia 2-1 lead, and the Lady Wolves ended up winning by that score.

“I remember that goal being pretty cool,” said Phillips, who noted that her club soccer coach, Jeff Parker (who is now the head coach at Jackson County), was in attendance.

With starting lineups changing constantly, Phillips said she played, on average, half a game throughout the year. Sometimes she played nearly the entire game, while she was relegated to the bench for long stretches in other games.
“I’m not going to lie, that was extremely frustrating,” she said.

More frustration came in the spring during the team’s second to last exhibition game when she tore the ACL and meniscus in her right knee. This came two years after Phillips tore the ACL in her left knee at the end of her junior season of high school.
She underwent surgery on the knee several weeks ago and will redshirt next year. Phillips was cleared at seven months last time and hopes for a similar timetable. That would allow her to return to action for the 2016 spring exhibition slate.

She’ll still patrol the sidelines this fall in a team leadership role, helping coaches communicate with players. But the idea of being shelved for an entire season doesn’t sit well with the ultra-competitive Phillips.

“I’m not looking forward to it,” she said. “I can’t stand sitting on the bench and watching.”

The injury, however, was only part of Phillips’ freshman experience.

While her team didn’t enjoy a successful season in terms of victories in 2014, the bonds built between teammates meant a lot for a former high school star trying to make her way in the college game.

Phillips considers that camaraderie the highlight of her first year, more so than any personal achievements.

“Just being with the team, it was the best team chemistry that I’ve ever had,” she said.

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